Cancer patients should speak to an oncologist to further understand what treatments will work best for curing their disease.

Written by

Dr. Matthew Campbell
Ask a Doctor columnist

Q: I will soon be having breast-cancer surgery. Will you be able to get it all? Will I need chemo?

A: I am asked this question often. Whether the operation is for breast, colon, rectal, lung, skin or thyroid cancer, afterward, patients are concerned and interested to know if all their cancer was removed or if something was left behind. They understand their survival may ultimately depend on this.

In the vast majority of cases, the short answer to this question is "Yes, we got it all." Seldom are we unable to remove the entire tumor. Even if the disease has spread to nearby lymph nodes, those can most ...